Brasschaat Braves Releases Part of Coaching Staff

The Brasschaat Braves have release a part of its coaching staff. The only one that will stay with the new staff is Joël McKeon, the American who used to pitch for the Braves in the past.

This morning, yours truly was approached by someone of the Braves with the news that the coaching staff was released. According to the source, a group of eight or nine young players threatened to leave the club if the head coach and his assistants would stay. The source claimed that the board went into panic mode as they didn’t want to lose eight or nine players. In order to keep these players aboard, the board of the club decided to “fire” the head coach and his assistants under the guise of them being too passive.

One can wonder what is meant with “being too passive” as this coaching staff guided the team to the Belgian championship in 2025 and played a great Confederation Cup tournament in which it won all games but one (the final), even without these youngsters.

According to the chairman, not all of the coaching staff members have been released. As written above, Joël McKeon will stay. The club has appointed Hans Heyrman as the new head coach. According to the chairman, Heyrman has guided the U12 and U15 teams of the Braves to a championship in the Dutch youth leagues. Heyrman’s role will be taken over by Jamie Verheyleweghen, former first base man of the Braves. Jamie has experience with coaching young players as he has his own baseball school, #1 hitting.

According to the chairman, appointing Heyrman as the head coach fits in the long term planning of the club, of which Heyrman was one of the developers.

“We are striving to implement a rejuvenation process at all levels to ensure continuity for our players—a significant challenge within Belgian baseball.

At times, a club must make difficult decisions—with a heavy heart—and thank individuals for everything they have contributed. Some of these people have spent nearly their entire careers with Brasschaat and have become true club icons. That is precisely what makes it so difficult,” according to chairman Dominick Rediers.

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